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Cardinals' Holliday: Matt Carpenter should be more aggressive

by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday has been pressing third baseman Matt Carpenter to be more aggressive at the plate at informal workouts before the official start of camp, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

"It’s great to walk and have long at-bats but he’s got the potential to hit 50 doubles. We’ve seen it," Holliday said. "He’s got the potential to hit 15 to 20 homers. We saw that in the postseason. It’s fine that first at-bat of the game if you want to take some pitches. But I’d like to see him be a little bit more aggressive. It’s in there. He showed it. It’s in there for all of us."

Carpenter, slugged three home runs during last year's National League Division Series after adopting a more aggressive approach, hit .272/.375/.375 with eight home runs and 59 RBI in 595 at-bats in 2014. The infielder also led the league in base on balls by drawing 95 walks.

Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward has been an early participant in spring workouts this week at the team's spring training complex in Florida, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

"For me, right now, it’s good to get a sweat, get workouts in, come in on a daily basis, get in our routine and the groove of things so everything naturally jells together before spring training starts," Heyward said Thursday.

Heyward is one of a handful of players in Jupiter who were on the practice field Thursday for an informal Cardinals workout. Among the other St. Louis players reporting to camp early are veterans Adam Wainwright, catcher Yadier Molina and outfielder Matt Holliday.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday went 2 for 4 with a three-run home run in his team's 10-9 win over the Dodgers Friday in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

Holliday put an exclamation point on an eight-run seventh inning with his blast to left field, extending his team's lead to 10-6. The home run would prove critical after the St. Louis bullpen allowed three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Holliday has delivered 13 home runs in 230 postseason at-bats, eight of which have come with the Cardinals.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Hollidaywas forced out of Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks in the seventh inning with flu-like symptoms, the team announced.

Holliday went 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout before leaving the game. He is hitting .272/.370/.441 with 20 homers and 90 RBI over 574 at-bats. His status remains up in the air for the regular season finale on Sunday.